Semester 2013B

This
page provides instructions for completing Phase II Science Programs for
all Gemini North and Gemini South instruments. It includes submission
details and notes of any procedural changes. Please read this page carefully!

Deadlines and Mechanism for Specifying Science Programs

The mechanism for submitting your completed Phase II Science Program
to the Gemini Observing Database
is by using the Store command in the
Observing Tool, and is the same for
all instruments.
The Phase II deadline of July 15, 2013 is a hard deadline for both
queue and classical programs. Note that failure to submit a defined
program by the Phase II deadline will result in the progam being
canceled. Extensions are granted only in exceptional circumstances and
only if requested prior to the deadline.

This mandatory deadline applies to all queue and classical programs
including templates for Target of Opportunity observations. The
mask
design deadlines, listed in the
Table at the bottom of this page,
are more flexible,
but we encourage PIs to submit their
mask designs and final MOS observations as early as possible.
In some cases GMOS PIs will be contacted directly and asked to submit
their Phase II early to provide pre-imaging observations
for MOS spectroscopy at the very start of the semester.
In all cases it
benefits programs with early targets to get their Phase II ready early,
as some programs will be observed at the end of the previous semester
to help fill the queue.

Target changes and other significant modifications to the original proposed observations require approval via the change request procedure. Changes to Gemini North or South laser targets must be made no later than 1 week prior to the start of each laser run, as shown in the Table at the bottom of this page.
Observations must use the
observing conditions constraints
approved by the ITAC during the Phase I process. Band 3 programs must
use the approved Band 3 conditions. It is always acceptable to relax the
conditions, and more relaxed conditions lead to a higher probability
of execution (see the
advice for band 3 page for tips on how to maximise your chances of getting data).
To change to better observing conditions than approved by the ITAC,
or to add airmass or hour angle constraints, requires
approval.

Distribution of Phase II Skeletons

Instructions on skeleton retrieval, including database program keys, will be sent to PIs on June 17, 2013.
A new release of the
Observing Tool (OT) is available for Semester 2013B Phase
II preparation, do not use the previous public release. There are OT installation instructions available. If you are unfamiliar with the OT, there are OT video tutorials
that provide a useful introduction. In addition, each
instrument
has an "Observation Preparation" section
that provides guidance on observing strategies and
how to describe these in the OT. The OT/Phase II checklist is another useful reference.

All observations must be defined using the OT
software. Approved Phase I observations have been used to construct
template observations in
the Phase II format of the OT, including calibration observations.
NGO staff
may have made some adjustments based on the OT example libraries. Use these templates as the starting point for completing the Phase II observations, with reference to the OT libraries. Note that the OT cannot automatically check for new versions of the libraries. We recommend that the
libraries be fetched manually
at the beginning of every Phase II preparation period.

OT and Other Changes for 2013B

The principal changes to the OT software are listed on the OT Release Notes
page.

Remote Eavesdropping

If your program is in Scientific Ranking Band 1 or 2, and is not a GSAOI program, we invite you to participate in
remote eavesdropping during the observation of your program at Gemini. Successful PIs will receive a link to a google spreadsheet on which availability for eavesdropping can be indicated. The deadline for signing up for eavesdropping is July 15 2013, although changes to your available dates can be made after that.

Phase II deadlines for all instruments (all 6pm local time)

Deadline

Notes

15 July 2013

Mandatory deadline for all queue and classical programs.

MOS Mask Cut Deadlines

MOS Masks are nominally cut at Gemini South for both telescopes.
Please allow an extra 10 days for delivery to Gemini North. There are no plans to resume regular mask cutting at Gemini North.

The mask design and corresponding Phase II updates are submitted via
the OT and then checked by the NGO contact before being forwarded to the
observatory. Mask designs are checked internally by Gemini staff for technical feasibility at least once per week before being forwarded to the Gemini South mask cutting queue. The time between NGO mask design approval and mask availability for the telescope queue is normally less than 2 weeks
for Gemini South and 3.5 weeks for Gemini North (due to mask shipping
time). We strongly encourage all MOS PIs to submit their mask designs
as early as possible (either at the start of the semester if not using
GMOS pre-imaging or immediately after the pre-imaging is taken) in order
to increase the chance that the MOS observations will be completed.
Gemini reserves the right to not cut masks for queue programs submitted
within 6 weeks of the end of the semester if the queue coordinators
determine that the MOS observations cannot be scheduled.

Classical and time-critical program PIs must ensure their mask designs have been submitted and cleared the NGO checks at least two
weeks prior to their run or event at Gemini South, and 3.5 weeks prior to
their run or event at Gemini North.

Note that all MOS observations must be defined by the phase II
deadline. Observations without masks will be reviewed and set to "On
Hold" until the masks become available, at which time the PI will have a
chance to make modifications if necessary.